Hi from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com  Traveling is a passion of mine along with writing fiction. I’ve had the pleasure of traveling to so many countries and every state in the union, and I love setting stories in those places. Some of my travel is the result of teaching writing at conferences or speaking at various events around the country, so my writing career offers me opportunities to do two things I love at one time—talk about writing in other places than home.

But. . .

You noticed that in the title, didn’t you? As Shakespeare said, "Ah! There’s the rub." Traveling and writing don’t always mesh. Sometimes deadlines hang over my head, and I play beat-the-clock to finish a novel in time for my trip. Deadlines aren’t easily changed. When they are, they cause the editors untold problems to find a completed novel to fill the slot of a novel that’s scheduled to be released when the novel is not ready. This means that author is out and someone else’s book is in. That’s why I’ve never missed a deadline.

Today I finished my latest deadline, A Dad Of His Own, and it will be in the mail tomorrow. I leave in a couple weeks for a short trip, but later in the summer, I’ve been invited to sing with a Christian chorale that will be singing in various locations throughout Germany. I’ve been to Germany a few times. I love it there, and I’ve always wanted to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau. It’s presented every ten years in that wonderful town with over a thousand townspeople in the cast. We were there ten years ago, but even my husband’s family who lives there was unable to purchase tickets. They are saved for tours. This year we will see the Passion Play, and I’m thrilled. The play and singing in cathedrals and venues around Germany will be a wonderful experience, as long as I don’t have a deadline hanging over me.

As I said, I love traveling, but. . .